The AW119 "Koala" is a lightweight, single-engine helicopter development from Italy-based Leonardo. The series recorded a first-flight in prototype form during February of 1995 and went on to see series introduction in 2000. It remains in active production as of this writing (2020) and has been taken on, in number, by various governmental- and military-level organizations including - rather recently - the United States Navy (USN). About 300 of the helicopters have been produced to date.
The aircraft is in the same class as the competing Bell Model 407, Airbus Helicopters Ecureuil, and MD Helicopters MD600 offerings.
The AW119 owes its design and inherent capabilities to the preceding AW109 (detailed elsewhere on this site) which appeared during the 1970s and went on to see its own level of global success in military and civilian aviation circles alike. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206 series turboshaft engines, the AW109 showcased strong performance for a helicopter of its class with key characteristics being its twin turboshaft powerplant arrangement, four-bladed main rotor, and retractable tricycle undercarriage.
The newer AW119 simplifies the design by settling on a single-engine layout, thereby reducing maintenance commitments as well as system operation. It also introduced a simpler landing skid arrangement replacing the original's retractable, wheeled tricycle configuration. The four-bladed main rotor is retained above the passenger cabin while a two-bladed tail rotor unit is situated at the tail facing to port side. The cockpit seats two in a traditional side-by-side arrangement while the passenger cabin can carry up to eight passengers in comfort. As a utility-minded platform, the helicopter is also cleared to carry external sling loads of up to 3,086lb when needed.
Power is from a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37A turboshaft engine delivering 1,002 horsepower to the four-bladed main rotor and twin-bladed tail rotor units. Performance specs include a cruising speed of 152 miles-per-hour (never-exceed speed of 175mph), a range out to 515 nautical miles, and a service ceiling nearing 15,000 feet. Rate-of-climb is equal to 1,790 feet-per-minute.
Variants in the line beyond the original "AW119" production mark (originally appearing as the "A119" under the Agusta brand label) include the improved "AW119 Ke" and succeeding "AW119 KXe". The Ke offering brought about improved fuel efficiency, increased cargo capability, and a revised rotor design. The KXe followed by as a more modern offering and is manufactured at facilities in both the United States and India for a better market reach.
Current military operators of the Koala series include the Algeria Air Force, the Bangladesh Air Force, the Ecuadorian Air Force, the Israeli Air Force, the Portuguese Air Force, and the United States Navy. Government-level operators exist in Australia, Brazil, Finland, South Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, and the United States (including the Phoenix Police Dept.).
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January 2020 - Leonardo has received a U.S. DoD contract worth $176 million USD to cover an initial 32 examples of its AW119 helicopters in trainer forms to serve the United States Navy. The contract was announced on January 13th, 2020. The series will be operated under the TH-119 designation and are intended as successors to the in-service TH-57 "Sea Ranger" based in the Bell Model 206 platform.
Algeria; Australia; Bangladesh; Brazil; Ecuador; Finland; Israel; South Korea; Latvia; Malaysia; Mexico; Portugal; United States
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).
✓Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.
✓VIP Service
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓Training (General)
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).
Length
42.5 ft (12.95 m)
Width/Span
35.6 ft (10.85 m)
Height
11.8 ft (3.60 m)
Empty Wgt
3,307 lb (1,500 kg)
MTOW
6,283 lb (2,850 kg)
Wgt Diff
+2,976 lb (+1,350 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Leonardo AW119 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6B-37A turboshaft engine developing 1,000 horsepower while driving a four-bladed main rotor and two-bladed tail rotor unit (facing port side).
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Leonardo AW119 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
A119 - Original Series Designation; initial production form from Agusta.
AW119 - Revised designation under AgustaWestland.
AW119 Ke - Improved model sporting fuel efficiency, revised main rotor, and increased MTOW.
AW119 KXe - Improved AW119 Ke model.
TH-119 - Militarized helicopter trainer model of 2018 for United States Navy TH-57 "Sea Ranger" replacement competition.
Th-73A - Untied States Navy helicopter trainer.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Algeria; Australia; Bangladesh; Brazil; Ecuador; Finland; Israel; South Korea; Latvia; Malaysia; Mexico; Portugal; United States
